Students arrested over pot brownies

BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Two University of Colorado at Boulder students were arrested for allegedly feeding marijuana-laced brownies to their unsuspecting classmates, police said.

Thomas Ricardo Cunningham, 21, and Mary Elizabeth Essa, 19, were arrested Saturday. They were charged with second- degree assault and inducing consumption of controlled substances by fraudulent means for the incident, The Denver Post reported.

The two allegedly baked marijuana-laced brownies and brought them to a class at the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building on Friday, said Ryan Huff, CU police spokesman.

"Anybody who thinks this is cute, anybody who thinks this was funny, is going to face pretty serious sanctions, both criminally and potentially within the student-conduct process," said CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard.

Eight people in the class of 12 ate the brownies, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo., reported. All of them became ill and three of them, including the class professor, were hospitalized.

Campus police said they interviewed Cunningham and Essa on Saturday and the students "confirmed the brownies contained marijuana."

"It was planned," Huff said. "They knew what they were doing."

Both Cunningham and Essa remained at the Boulder County Jail Sunday. Their bond had not yet been set.

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